Level-indicating gage.



L. D. LOVEKIN. LEVEL INDIGATING GAGE. APPLIOATION FILED we. 26. 1908.

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Patented June 15, 1909.

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LUTHERI'D. LOVEKIN, or runner;mm, i n.\ xsrx.\x\xi.\j

LEVEL-INDICATING GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Intenterl June 15, 1909.

Application filed Au ustes, 1908. Serial No. 450,282.

To all whom it concern:

invented a certain new and useful Improve ment in Level-IndicatingGages, of which i the following is a true and exact description, A

3 surfaces, which extend parallel to the length :1.

' ,.reference-being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partthereof.

My present invention relates to level indicating gages, such as theso-called water glasses, for steam boilers, and particularly to thattype of gage disclosed by United States patent to Richard Klinger, No.470,856, issuedhlarch 15th, 1892, in which a block of glass closing theotherwise open side of a chamber provided in a metallic body is formedwith reflecting surfaces in its inner face, so arranged that the glassis practically opaque, except where said facets are covered with water.I

The object of the present inyention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of gages of this type, make them easier to read;

and to make them better able to withstand the conditions. of use towhich they may be subjected. T he latter object is obtained, in a largemeasure, by so constructing and arranging the parts'forming the waterglass, that the temperature of the external surfaces of the lass is keptmuch lower than in gages 0? this type heretofore employed.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of the specification. For

a better understanding of the invention,

however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawin s and descriptive matter in which I have-ii stratedand described one of the forms in which my invention may be em bodied.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a j'ront elevation of the new gage. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the gage shown in Iig. 1. Fig

3 is a sectional plan taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;- and Fig. 4 is aView 'SlIIlllilI to Fig. 3 showing a modifiedconstruction.

In the drawings, A representsthe body portion of the gage formed with asteam and water containing chamber A, which terminates at the top andbottom in ports A com.- municating with the tubes B, B which may beconnected tothe body of the gage in any 1 manner. lhc.i'ront side of thechamber A l;-i open and is surrounded by a plane seal and the latter inturn usually by a rim or flange A".

The glass' body (l is in the form of a bar 5 having rounded ends asindicated in Fig. l and is formed in its inner face withV shaped ribsthe sides of which form aclleutiug of the gage. The glass C is securedin place to close the otherwise open front side of the chamber Aloy'skeleton retaining means, which, in the form shown, comprises boltsG, a rim like member D provided with aplane seat 18surrounding-the'aperture'l), through which the gage indications may beobserved, and with a flange D which surrounds the seat D The bolts tendthrough flanges A and D of the members A and D respectively, areprovided with the usual polygonal heads G and pol gonal nuts G; Acushion E and, a gas at F, formed of suitable material, are insertedbetween the seats 1) and A and the adjacent surfaces of the glass bodyC. Preferably as shown, the flange portions D and A of the members D andA are recessed at D and A respectively to permit the bolts G to bebrought close to the edges of the glass bar (J. Recesses D and A areformed. at the outer margins of the seats 1) and A respectively, so thatthe cushion and gasket, which may be formed of material more or lesselastic, or may have rough ed es, will tight joints.

' ith the construction disclosed, the skeletonmea'ns for securingthcglass body C in place are so arranged as to a ow only acomportions-of the glass the surface of the c ass body adjacent thechamber, A and pafleu-larly the exposed surfaces of the glass body C,are maintained the atmosphere than has been the case with gages of thistype heretofore made. account of this fact, the glass is less apt tobreak than was the case with the older con- G, which ex not interferewith the formation 0 smooth i'erred by conduction or radiation from thequence'of this fact and the .fact that the between the adjacent edges ofthe flanges A? the rim member D, the temperature of the" body 0 remotefromat a temperature appreclably nearer that of they have heretoforebeen constructed, has

' been the sudden chan es in temperature to which the exposed sur acesof the glass bodies were subjected. In particular, gages for marine workare apt'to be spattered from time to time in the winter season with icyspray passing into the boiler room throu 'h the ventilators. This hasbeen usually anilicient to destroy the glass bodies in gages of thiskind heretofore used, while with my new gage, the lower normaltemperature of the external surface of the glass body enables the latterto withstand such spray action or the action of blasts of cold air orwater.

A further and important advantage of the construction disclosed is foundin-the fact that the light admitted at the sides of the glass resultsinmakin the gage indications much easier to read, since the light thusadmitted gives the inner surface of the glass above the water level avery bright andshining appearance, so that the water line is extremelydistinct. This is particula'rlyimportant where the gage is used'in adark place so that artificial illumination is necessary. In such cases,a light may be placed atone or at each of the two long sides of thegage, This location of the lamps at the sideof the gage rather than infront of it, is in itself an advantage-pew tic-ularly where, as isfrequently the case, in

marine work, it is necessary to" have gages viewed from two levels, oneabove and one bclowthe level of the gage. To increase the eifectivenessof this side lighting effect, I may provide grooves C in the edges ofthe glass as shown in Fig. 4.

An important advantage of the construction disclosed over thatheretofore known is ,found in the fact that the bolts connecting thattherim member in this construction is eeasei slightly flexible facilitatesthe ing of the glass in place.

I am aware that in the gage shown Klin er patent the body and the frontmem er do not meet, but the space M the gage of the Klinger patent isprov only for clearance, and on account of thinness of the space and itsrelativei g depth parallel to the front and back of the glass, the spaceis not eitecti'v to admitiight to the interior'oi' the to materiallyreduce the temperature ex osed surfaces of the glass body;

aving now described my invention. wii i 1 I claim as new and desire tosecure I ters Patent is:

1. A gage glass com rising a body n; bcr' formed with a c amber open a.n

side, a relatively thick glass body closing the open side of saidchamber, and skeleton retaining means for securing the lass bod in placeagainst said body man er, whi e leaving a large portion ofthe front faceand edges of said glass body exposed. v 2. Avgage glass comprising abody mem ber formed with a chamber 0 en at one side a relatively thickbody of g ass for clos' the open side of said chamber and form withreflecting surfaces on the side adj {m cent said chamber, and means forclamping, said glass body int place, comprising a. metallic rim or openframe enga ing the front face of the glass body an spaced away from saidbodyto expose a large por tion of the'side edges of said glass badly, by

and bolts connecting said-rim and members.

3. A gage glass comprising a body me ber formed with a chamber open atone side, a relatively .thick glass bod closin the open side oi saidchamber an forme -w'ith grooves in its side edges, and skeleton;rtaining means for securing the glass in place w inst said body member,whi leaving a izirge portion of the front we} and the grooved portionsof the side edges of said glass body exposed. LUTHER- D. LOVEKIN.,

Witnesses:

Almeria Kara, D. S'rswanm

